Where does “*smelt” come from?
*smelt (Proto-West Germanic) comes from Proto-Germanic smeltaz, from Proto-Germanic smeltaną, from Proto-Indo-European (s)meld- — to soften, to melt.
Ancestry of “*smelt”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Proto-Germanic | smeltaz | smelt |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | smeltaną | to melt |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)meld- | to soften, to melt |